Carlos Gonzalez has been tested for performance-enhancing drugs three times this season. That number, Gonzalez said, is why he couldn’t believe San Francisco Giants all-star Melky Cabrera jeopardized his season by cheating. The outfielder was suspended 50 games Wednesday for testing positive for testosterone.

“I was surprised because you don’t think there are guys still doing that (stuff) anymore with all the tests we have,” Gonzalez said. “I am shocked. It’s crazy to think someone would still try.”

Cabrera admitted that he used a banned substance, accepted his punishment. There was no “I drank my child’s cough syrup excuse” — see Mota, Guillermo. It doesn’t change the act. It was selfish, leaving the Giants compromised at the worst possible time. Everything Cabrera has done since he left Atlanta two years ago as a disappointment must now be viewed with suspicion.

He was the MVP of the All-Star Game. Does that mean the car he won was a rental? Cabrera won’t have to give it back, and with his .346 average he could still win the batting title this season. You think Jose Reyes sitting after a hit in the final game last season was lame, it would be much easier to swallow than spoiled Melk.

Cabrera’s suspension drew an angry reaction from Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson. He wants those who test positive for PEDs banned for at least a year. He has watched Cabrera torch his team this season, going 18-for-39 with two home runs.

The Diamondbacks were also wrecked by Ryan Braun in the playoffs, the same Braun who had a positive test overturned due to a protocol error.

Arizona is competing for a playoff spot. The Rockies are not. But you can’t blame the Rockies for feeling like Cabrera contributed unfairly to a few of their losses. He has six extra-base hits against them with 12 RBIs.

“Sure it bothers you a little bit when you think back to plays where he made a difference and know where they are in the standings. But not to the point where you complain about it. You move on,” Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. “I am just surprised that people would still try to cheat the system.”

When money and egos are involved, there will always be those willing to break the law. Whether that’s in their sport or in society. Cabrera will be a free agent at season’s end. His second straight strong season put him in position for a powerball jackpot. Would have it been $50 million? How about $70 million?

Now he’s staring at a one-year deal. He chose his numbers over the team. He deflated the Giants. Those who follow that club much more closely will say his absence will be overcome. But when you look at what he and Buster Posey did against left-handed pitching — Cabrera had a .444 on-base percentage, Posey .463 OBP — his loss can’t be easily dismissed.

“Those two in the middle of the order were a special dynamic,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “Very special.”

Cabrera will be eligible to return in the postseason. The Giants could send a stronger message than his 50-game suspension by not welcoming him back.

“I don’t worry about what he did against us this season or stuff like that. I met him during the All-Star Game. He seems like a good guy and a family man,” Gonzalez said. “But this shows how one big mistake can ruin your career and your reputation. Is it really worth that?”

Troy is a former Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies beat writer for The Denver Post. He joined the news organization in 2002 as the Rockies' beat writer and became a Broncos beat writer in 2014 before assuming the lead role ahead of the 2015 season. He left The Post in 2015.

More in Sports

When New England won the toss, Patriots captain Devin McCourty thought: “As soon as I saw it was heads, I was like: I’ve seen this before. I know what happens at the end of this one.” Does the NFL need to change its overtime rules?

The Avalanche second-line center tipped the puck past Kings’ goaltender Jonathan Quick in the first period Saturday. It opened the floodgates for a 7-1 victory and notched Soderberg’s 16th score of the season -- tying a career high set last year. Soderberg now has 34 more games to extend it starting Monday against the Predators inside Pepsi Center.